A GRAPHIC designer whose hand has been bent by Viking disease has spoken about her experiences with the little-known condition.

Val Evans has a 70 degree bend in her right hand, meaning that she cannot put make up on or take part in some exercises while long days working at a computer can cause discomfort.

The 55-year-old first noticed the effects of Viking disease, which is so named as it is believed the condition was brought to the UK by the Nordic invaders, 10 years ago.

Woolston resident Val said: “For me, it only started about 10 years ago when I was in my mid 40s as a tiny little lump in the middle of my hand.

“My doctor said it was nothing to worry about but as it’s gone on it’s gradually got worse and worse.

“It’s so gradual that you end up not noticing it until it gets quite bad and you decide to do something about it.

“I work from home on computers all day and up until about six months or a year ago it wasn’t really affecting me at all.

“What you can’t do is put your hand flat down, and anything you need to do with your hand flat is very difficult when it gets to an advanced stage because your finger has been pulled in.”

More than a million people in the UK have the condition, also known as Dupuytren’s disease, but only around four per cent of the population have heard of it.

A website has been launched in order to raise awareness of the disease, coinciding with International Viking Day.

Val, of Acacia Avenue, is planning to have a series of injections in order to reverse the effects of Viking disease.

The freelance graphic designer added: “It’s not very debilitating but when it progresses past a certain point it becomes very irritating day-to-day and sadly it does reoccur, so it can and almost certainly will come back.

“I don’t think people are aware of Viking’s disease – I haven’t met or spoken to anybody else who knew anything about it, and I haven’t come across anybody else with it.

“It’s still very much a hidden disease that nobody really knows about so I’m glad that we’re getting information out there for people.”

For more information go to thisisdupuytrens.com.